Relay



Oct. 3, 1933. J. F. MERKEL 1,929,097

RELAY Filed Dec. 30, 1930 4! ,ATTORNEY 1355 1,766,665, granted June Patented Oct. 3,1933

PATENT m,;

v f I General Railway RELAY Joseph F.,Merkel,ltochester, N'. Y., assignor to Signal Company, Rochester,

" Application December 30, 1939 I -This invention-relates in general to relays, and has more'particularr'eference toa counter-weight forathree-positionrelay: f In connection :With three-position relays, it is 5' desirable to provide means for bringing the 'moving parts' backtoa' neutral or de-energized position from eitherone of two energized positions, .and without thereby swinging the moving'parts beyond. the center position.

With the above and other considerations in view, it is proposed, in accordance with the present invention, to provide a counter-weight for a three-position relay which is simple and durable, very efiicient and positive in its action, and at the same time economical to manufacture.

Further objects, purposes and characteristic featuresof the present invention will appear as the description proceeds,.referen'ce being made to the accompanying drawing which show one form V 1201. which the invention can assume. The drawing is wholly diagrammatic, and is not intended, in any manner whatsoever, to limit the invention to the particular form shown, but is merely for the pur pose of illustration. In the drawing:-

Fig.1 is an end view ot a portion of a relay to which theinvention can be applied.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the relay, showing the counter-weight of the present invention. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of theinvention.

Fig. 4 is a view similarto Fig. 3, but showingthe parts in a different operativeposition.

Fig. 5 is an explodedview of the invention. Referring now to the drawing, there is shown a portion of a relay, such as that in Patent 24; 1930, to J. F. Merkel. As shown in Fig. 1, a vane 1 is operated, in the usual manner, to either of two energized positions at either sideof the'de-energized position in which 'it is shown in the drawing, to thereby operate, throughan eccentric 2, to move a fork 3,

carrying rollers 4, and thereby rock a carrier bar 53, carrying contacts 6, for cooperating with fixed contacts 7. The eccentric 2, is 'on a spindle 8,

.. having pivots 9 for permitting the'spindleB to I rock, and on the spindle 8 is a counter-weight 10 for offsetting the weight of the vane 1.

Carriedat one end of the spindle 8-,is a cross arm'll, which may be integral with the spindle 8,

.or rigidly attached thereto, and at each end of the .cross armll, is a projecting grooved pin 12,

with a head 12 for receiving in the grooves thereof a yoke 13' of a generally triangular form, the

yoke having curved sides 14 and Hand 9. straight side 16. On the straight side 16 are inwardly projecting lugs 17 and 18 forming receiving sockets ,Serial No. 505,518 scams. (01.175-343) for thepins 12, whenthe spindle 8 is in.deenergized position. Carried by the y0ke13 is a coun ter-weight .19, having a downwardly projecting stem or. arm 20, loosely fitting-into a vertically positionedreceiving socket 21, for. guiding the 60. stem-20."-

The yoke 13 has curved sides 14 and 15 formed on arcs of circles swung respectively from the opposite corners of the triangle, the inner edges of the sides 14 and 15 being spaced out of contact 853 with the stems of pins 12, but having their outer faces positioned to bear against the inner faces of the heads 12 This avoids binding and undue friction, and at the same time prevents the yoke 13 from coming off of the pins 12.

On operation of the spindle 8 to one or the other of its operated positions, as shown in Fig. 4, one of the pins 12 moves along one of the arcuate sides of the yoke 13, while the other pin,

held in place by a lug 17 or '18, raises the yoke and counter-weight 19 in a substantially vertical direction, whereby to exert a bias on the spindle towardits die-energized position. i

The arrangement of parts, as shown and described, permits a single counter-weight, 19, to bias the spindle 8 from each of two operated positions to an intermediate de-energized position and hence perform the same function as generally requires two separate counter-weights in this particular art.

The structure shown and described is simple in form and cheap to manufacture, it is efllcient in operation, has a long life, and is very simple to inspect and repair.

The above rather specific description of one 90. form of the present invention is given solely by way of illustration, and is not intended, in any manner whatsoever, in a limiting sense. Obviously the invention can assume many different physical forms, andis susceptible of numerous modifications, and all such forms and modifications are intended to be included in this application.

Having described my invention, "1 now claimz- 1. In a centering means for relays and the like, ml) in combination with a spindle on a fixed pivot, an arm on the spindle and extending to each side thereof, a projecting pin at each end of the arm,

a single centering weight, a triangular frame carrying the weight, one side of the frame resting I on the pins and carried thereby, whereby rocking of the spindle in either direction causes the pins toraise the centering weight, an arm on the weight, and means restraining the arm and its weight to substantially rectilinear movement. 9

2. In a centering means for relays and the like, in combination with a pivoted spindle, an arm on the spindle and extending to each side thereof, a projecting pin at each end of the arm, a single centering weight, a triangular frame carrying the weight, one side of the frame resting on the pins and carried thereby, whereby rocking of the spindle causes the pins to raise the centering weight, the triangular frame having its other two sides arcuate in form and positioned to be paralleled by, and bear against the head of, one of said pins, while the other pin is raising the frame, whereby the heads of the pins retain the frame in place. a

3. In a centering means for relays and the like, in combination with a pivoted spindle, an arm on the spindle and extending transversely to each side thereof, a projecting pin at each end of the arm, a single centering weight, a triangular frame carrying the weight, one side of the frame resting on the. pins and carried thereby, whereby rocking of the spindlecauses thepins to raise the centering weight, the triangular frame having its other two sides arcuate in form and positioned to be paralleled by, and bear against the head of, one of said pins, while the other pin is raising the frame, whereby the heads of the pins retain the frame in place, and means on that side of the frame which rests on the pins to form pin receiving sockets, whereby to hold the side of the pin, which is not raising the frame, out of contact with the side which it parallels.

4. In a. centering means for relays and the like, in combination with a pivoted spindle, an arm on the spindle and extending transversely to each side thereof, a projecting pin at each end of the arm, a single centering weight, a triangular frame carrying the weight, one side of the frame resting on the pins and carried thereby, whereby rocking of the spindle causes the pins to raise the centering weight, the triangular frame having its other two sides arcuate in form and positioned to be paralleled by, and bear against the head of one of, said pins, while the other pin is raising the frame, whereby the heads of the pins retain the frame in place, inwardly projecting lugs on that side of the frame which rests on the pins forming pin receiving sockets. whereby to holdrtho side of that pin which is not, raising the frame out of contact with that S de. to which it moves parallel.

JOSEPH F. MERKEL. 

